Complaint Review: Discovery Research Inc.

Yet another Western Union scam: receive bad check to cash and use funds to do a Western Union transfer for a "survey"

I received the following email on December 7, 2013 (pasted as is, including all typos):

Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2013 04:38:02 -0600
From: Discovery Research Inc. <dwells@discoveryrinc.com>
Reply-To: dwells@discoveryrinc.com
Subject: $200 Paid Focus Groups
Message-ID: <fb701528ce5b87128a8a383255f9703e@www.ronaldvasquez.com>
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Discovery Research is looking for participants for an upcoming survey on western union agent locations in your area. You will be paid to confidentially survey the services they offer and score your overall experience, the survey will take 1hr to complete and you will receive a $200 cash compensation for your participation. If you are interested in participating provide us with your: Full Names, Mailing Address (Apt #), City, State, Zip Code, Phone Number, Employment Status. No signup fees, No sales!

Sincerely,
Daniel Wells
Discovery Researh Inc.

I have done legitimate focus groups, surveys and mystery shops before, so I replied with my name, mailing address and telephone number stating I was interested.

On December 11, I received an official bank check for $2650 in the mail drawn on Seven Seventeen Credit Union. I became suspicious, and the next day, on December 12, I called the number listed on the credit union's web site. A representative confirmed for me that the check was not good and would not clear. After I told the employee about the check and instructions I received, he agreed that it sounded like a scam.

I received the following email instructions on the morning of December 12:

X-Received: by 10.220.199.5 with SMTP id eq5mr3626225vcb.16.1386850680159;
 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:18:00 -0800 (PST)
Received: by 10.221.29.197 with HTTP; Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:18:00 -0800 (PST)
X-Originating-IP: [41.151.205.3]
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 05:18:00 -0700
Message-ID: <CAAttFZQ0Y_dLCEheWqJcoNrvX5YqHVT-GnyctrPN7vnWSsiwrQ@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Western Union Survey Instructions
From: Daniel Wells <dwells@discoveryrinc.com>

The check delivered by USPS includes both compensation and funds for this survey, follow the below instructions to complete the survey.

 

1. Have the received check cashed at your bank.

2. Deduct your compensation of $200 after cashing the check.

 

3. Bring the rest of the funds after deduction of your compensation to the nearest western union outlet in your area and have it transferred to the below information using their Money in Minutes service: Western union will charge a service fee for using their service, deduct $180 for the charges from the leftover cash before transferring the rest to the below information.

 

                                            Name: Allpey Miunahain

                                            Destination: 20233 65th Ave SE | Snohomish | WA 98296

 

While making the transfer observe the following: Service time, customer service professionalism and environment safety during the transfer process. Under no circumstance should the western union agent(s) know this evaluation is being carried out on them. Email me with the following information as soon as the transfer is completed:

 

Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):

Transaction Charges:

Western Union Location Surveyed:

 

A questionnaire regarding your overall experience with western union will be emailed to you after we receive the transfer information.

 

Thank you and get back to me as soon as the survey is completed today.

 

Sincerely,

Daniel Wells

Senior Research Analyst

Discovery Research Inc.

 

I replied back informing him that the credit union already told me that the check was no good, so I will not be doing the survey.  I have not received any further response from him yet.